How served: 22 oz waxed and capped bottle poured into a Delirium Noël snifter to get me into theholiday mood.

My Overall Opinion: Amazing.

I paired this beer with: Lobster raviolis with marinara sauce. Not the best choice of beer to go with this lobster ravioli, but what the heck, life is short and drink what you want, when you want it. Overall nothing clashed and meal & beer was very enjoyable… mission accomplished!

Tasted on: Wednesday December 14, 2011

Notes: This is a Special batch of their seasonal winter brew Jubelale.

The beer poured a muddy deep brown with a thin dark tan head which left a thin and sticky lacing on my glass.

The nose had nice aromas of toffee, chocolate, plums, roasted malt, hints of vanilla and a very pleasant warmth from the alcohol.

The taste is similar to the nose. I got chocolate, toffee and sweet roasted malts up front, then the vanilla, dark fruits and some bourbon flavors snuck in midway, and the beer finished dry with a very pleasant warmth from the alcohol.

The body with medium to moderate with a slick/creamy mouthfeel with a very nice warmth from the alcohol.

The drinkability was good, but one which you would like to sip and savor. This beer improved greatly as it warmed up and was good to the last drop. Wait only 9 more years & look for the 2020 at a bottle shop near you.

On the Label: Best after 1/29/2011 1032K

From their website: Strong Ale Alc. 10% | IBUs 55

Jubel 2010 is a deeply complex, intensely flavored take on our festive winter seasonal, Jubelale. Available on tap as Super Jubel at our pubs around the holidays, 2010 is only our second bottling of this prized rarity originally released to mark the 2000 millennium.

Note: This beer is no longer brewed it was a one shot deal for Stones 13 anniverary.

Despite the warning on the label: bottled June 2009 & Do not cellar. Enjoy in 2009. I did cellar this beer, hence this review at this time is against the warning of the maker.

This beer poured a deep opaque reddish brown with a 3 finger fluffy tan head which lasted most of my 1st glass leaving a minimal lacing on the glass. The nose, despite the year wait to drink was heavy on the hops, both piney and citrus. The taste was slightly sweet upfront, made me think of a Barleywine, then BAM the hops hit and hit hard. This was no Barleywine after all. Wish I made this review when it was fresh, as I forgot how it had tasted then. The bitter taste was all grapefruit rind and a hop heads dream. The mouthfeel was a medium body and syrupy yet not to thick with a nice level of carbonation. The drinkability was good but not something I would want to have another right away. It is more of a sipping beer and one you would not want to gulp down. If this beer was fresh I would have most likely given it a higher rating.

On the Label: June 2009 Do not cellar. Enjoy in 2009.

Triskaidekapbobia sufferers beware. Stone is a teenager now. Like all teenagers, we’re entering an unpredictable age. Soon our voice will begin to get deeper, yet crack at the most embarrassing time (like when we’re trying to impress a cute girl…just our luck). We do finally get to watch the PG-13 movies not that ever stopped us, we do look old for our age. And we have an unmistakable maturity about us. At least that’s what Aunt Maybelle says. Just wish she’d cut out that cheek pinching though.

It seems that it may be time to leave behind our younger years altogether. We’ve actually been feeling a bit like grownups these days. 2008 stats came out recently and it appears that Stone is the 18th largest craft brewery in the nation (20th last year). We’re nearly out of space in our new brewery (in just three and a half years, no less), and the Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens has become a regional fixture in the last two and a half years. And our business has been growing. We say this with full respect and sensitivity to many that are experiencing challenges during these crazy times and unpleasant economic times. We believe that our growth during these times is a significant indicator that Americans are continuing to gravitate towards better. Everything from artisanal cheeses and breads, to organics and great craft beer continues to grow. Victory gardens have become an old trend that is new again, and people are continuing to focus on the quality choices available to them in their regions. No matter where you are, we are thankful and hugely flattered when you choose a quality craft beer that is more local, we understand. As long as we are all continuing our collective enthusiasm for great quality choices, more and more quality choices will continue to be made to satisfy our hunger…and thirst. And that, my friends, is a beautiful thing! Ingredient: Barley, Hops, Water and Yeast. www.stonebrew.com/anniv

Note: This is a “double” Sawtooth, which is Left Hand’s ESB. This beer when poured with an aggressive pour produced a nice puffy 2 finger head, which receded quickly. Now despite the nice head, this beer had a very low to no carbonation and tasted very flat for the style I was expecting. So I’m not sure if I got a “bad” bottle or not, as there was no other signs of that this beer had gone bad. Besides the low carbonation level this beer was sweeter than I would like. I would much rather have 2 Sawtooth Ales then 1 double Sawtooth.

On the Label: Many Times We’ve Heard, “More Is Not Always Better.” Invariably the person on the receiving end of such a statement scowls at the ramification. Here at Left Hand we realize that life can neither be reduced to nor understood in absolute terms. We take exception with such broad statements about the human condition. Chainsaw is a connoisseur’s version of our award-winning Sawtooth Ale, redesigned to befuddle silly generalizations about life. We hope you enjoy!

I paired this beer with: nothing. It was used as an after dinner drink.

Tasted on: Tuesday April 20th, 2010.

Note: 2010 vintage. There has been a lot of noise that Angel Share has no head as is completely flat. Well as you can see there was a nice headed poured from this bottle. This head lasted for a few minutes and then thinned out and would reappear again if the glass was swirled. Now the beer itself was almost totally flat after the pour, but a beer like this you do not need much carbonation to make it enjoyable. The first thing I tasted was a very rich chocolate taste, then a hint of bourbon and vanilla, then the heat of the alcohol hit, wow what a great tasting beer and mouthfeel. This is for sure a sipper and one which you hate to see the last drop gone from your glass.

On the Label: Way down in Kentucky and across the pond in Scotland, distillers age their whiskeys for many years in oak barrels. Over time, some Whiskey is lost to evaporation. They refer to this loss of spirits as “The Angel’s Share.” Each time a barrel is filled, a measure of liquid seeps into the oak and is lost for forever.

Our Angel’s Share is a barrel aged burgundy colored ale infused with copious amounts of dark caramel malt to emphasize the vanilla and oak flavors found in the freshly emptied Bourbon barrels. Each batch spends no less than 9 months aging in the oak. As with all of our beers, this beer is brewed for sinners and saints alike. So be an angel and share it with a friend or two.

From their websiteDown in Kentucky and across the pond in Scotland, distillers who age their whiskeys for many years refer to the evaporation of the spirits from their barrels as “The Angel’s Share.” We couldn’t agree more. Each time a barrel is filled, a measure of liquid seeps into the oak and is lost for good.

This striking Strong Ale is brewed with copious amounts of Caramel malt to emphasize the vanilla and oak flavors found in freshly emptied bourbon or brandy barrels. The beer spends a year in oak before it is packaged for release. The beer is 12.5% ABV and is available in 375ml and 750ml bottles and on draft at inspired locations.

The Angel’s Share Story

It’s warehouse #5 built in 1886 that gets the most attention. The other four weren’t built so well and succumbed over the years. On the outside, to most #5 is a rather unremarkable white washed building. That is until they pass through the weathered doors and are easily consumed. Here in the hallowed halls it just oozes history. Inside this three story building, they find row after row of whiskey slumbering away the days until the distiller calls their name and they are called into action.

It’s a weathered building with a timeline of over one hundred and twenty years of continuous service. Looking around, there is a warm orange glow from all the wood inside. On both sides of the room for as far as your eyes can see, there are wood racks with carvings, nicks and dings. It smells sweet in here. Could that be the Whiskey breathing? Perhaps it’s the angels doing their work? Or is there just something sweet about 200 year old wood that intoxicates your sense of smell.

Imagine the history that belongs to the wood in this “shed.” It comes from seeds that were planted when the idea for the Revolutionary War was just fermenting. And it’s still here, every single day telling the story of this distillery. This warehouse has seen it all. It survived the harsh winter of 1913. There was the Tornado in 1956 and who can forget the flood of 1973? But, it’s still here. Still working, living and breathing whiskey as great grandpa designed it to do.

Sure, there are more cobwebs and spiders than there used to be? It’s an old building after all. One of the family members proclaimed it to be a grand old warehouse of monumental importance, so now it’s on the National Registry of Historic Buildings. Yet, the premise has always been the same. We need a place to age those spirits. And #5 has always been there.

Ask the family members to describe #5 and they all tell you the same thing.”The Angel’s get more than their fair share from #5 but we don’t care. To us, there is nothing finer than the whiskey that comes from old #5. We wish they drank less. But then again, we really don’t need an excuse to drink more?”

Way down in Kentucky and across the pond in Scotland, distillers age their whiskeys for many years in oak barrels. Over time, some whiskey is lost to evaporation. They refer to this loss of spirits as “The Angel’s Share.” Each time a barrel is filled, a measure of this liquid seeps into the oak and is lost forever.

Our Angel’s Share is a barrel aged burgundy colored ale infused with copious amounts of dark caramel malt to emphasize the vanilla and oak flavors found in freshly emptied bourbon or brandy barrels. Each batch spends no less than 12 months aging in the oak. As with all of our beers, this beer is brewed for sinners and saints alike. So be an angel and share it with a friend or two.

How served: 22 oz bomber poured into a Bon Beer Voyage glass. Both the glass and the beer are courtesy a very good friend of mine “The Bock Babe” & “Bill Boli” (seen in background)

The Bock Babe

My Overall Opinion: Amazing.

I paired this beer with: A rich and thick fish stew. The pairing was only OK, as this beer would have much better been paired with a rich chocolate desert or by itself and a nice after dinner sipper.

Tasted on: Thursday February 25, 2010.

Note: This is a limited release beer & was only brewed once. I believe that this beer should age very well under the right conditions. So if you can store this beer properly and if you happen to still see some on the shelves of your local beer store, but a few and put it away for next year, or even the year after, you will not be disappointed, as I feel that this beer has not reached its “flavor” peak yet . There were 13 malts and 13 hops used in making this beer, but the malt hits you much harder than the hops.

On the Label: On April 24, 1982, I chanted, gave a speech about Leprosy, got my first Walkman, 3 pen sets, and 2 swiss army knives. The band was called Hot Borscht. As with all Bar and Bat Mitzvahs kids, my parents recited a blessing thanking God for finally being relieved of punishment for their child’s sins. Lucky 13 all around. At high Holidays, Jews recite 13 Attributes of Mercy revealed to Moses at Sinai. 13 million Jews inhabit the globe. Maimonides wrote the dogmatic 13 principles of Faith, and died 13th of Dec. 1204. The mystical Zohar emerged in 13th c. Spain, ascribed to a 2nd century Rabbi, who studied Torah in a cave with his son for 13 years. The Jewish calendar follows 13 lunar cycles. Apollo 13 failed to reach the moon after an explosion on April 13 (1970). July 4th falls 13 days after the summer solstice. 13 Colonies. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery. Barach Obama represented the 13th district in the IL State Senate. In 1957 Sandy Koufax made 13 stats, struck out 13 in his first complete game, and pitched the final Dodger strike before they left Brooklyn. 13 attended the Last Supper. 13 bagels make a Baker’s Dozen, began for fear of punishment under a 13th c. English law regulating the price of brad and beer. Genesis 13:13 tells of the wicked men of Sodom. Genghis Khan conquered the world in the 13th century. Black Sabbath released its debut album on Friday Feb 13th (1970). Recording Rain Dogs. Tom Waits told guitarist Marc Ribot “Play it like a midget’s bar mitzvah” Happy 13, Shmaltzers. Together we rise and holler, “L’Chaim!” Jeremy Cowan, proprietor

From their website:The oldest archaeological artifact to mention “Israel” is dated from 13th century BCE Egypt. The eve of Purim (the only official Jewish drinking holiday) falls on the 13th of Adar (Hebrew calendar). Famed scholar Rambam (Moses Maimonides) died on December 13 (1204). While preparing for his bar mitzvah, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg sold Christmas wreaths door to door to raise money for Boy Scout camp. On the Simpsons, in 2003, Krusty the Klown, prodigal son of Rabbi Hyman Krustofski, is moved to celebrate an adult bar mitzvah after discovering he cannot get a star on the Jewish Walk of Fame without it. “Part of the bar mitzvah is that you become a man supposedly at 13 years old. And as I was a man, I decided never to go to a synagogue again” -Jack Black. I growled and I roared and my rabbi did as well / it was a rocking werewolf zoo at Temple Beth-Emmanuel / Werewolf bar mitzvah / Spooky scary / Werewolf bar mitzvah / Kooky hairy / Boys becoming men / Men becoming wolves -30Rock. Seth Rogen (born the week before my bar mitzvah) made his stand-up comedy debut at age 13: “A good Bar Mitzvah joke is a good Bar Mitzvah joke regardless of your age and sexual orientation.” Harpo Marx once broke his stage silence when a fire broke out in a theatre in Detroit. “I didn’t know what to say, so I just delivered the speech I made at my bar mitzvah. It quieted the audience until the fire was put out.” In the early 90’s, Paul Rudd worked as a DJ and MC at bar mitzvahs. In his first acting role out of college, he was duped into delivering a fundamentalist Christian moral to the story. “My Bar Mitzvah was perfect. It was in my basement… For the invitation, I drew pictures of the band KISS and things that I loved from the Torah. We all need rites of passage.” -Jeremy Piven. Ben Stiller played drums at his own bar mitzvah. “We covered ‘Hey, Jude,'” he recalled. “My father panicked thinking our lead singer was belting out ‘Hey, Jew!’ to a roomful of Holocaust survivors.” Fear of the number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia. About 9% of Americans believe that Friday the 13th is jinxed, according to a 1990 Gallup poll, running behind a black cat crossing your path, which worries 14%. To mock the fear of Friday the 13th, Civil War vet Capt. Wm. Fowler formed the 13 Club, first meeting on Friday Sept 13th (1881) at 8:13 p.m. 13 people dined in room 13, entering under a ladder and seated among piles of spilled salt. Future members included 5 US Presidents. Wilt Chamberlain wore #13 his whole career and was selected to 13 All Star games. Basketball originally had 13 rules. Every pineapple contains 13 counterclockwise spirals. California produces 13% of the US’s GDP. About 13% of New York state residents claim no religious affiliation. Fidel Castro was born on Friday the 13th (August 1926). In the late 13th c., Venetian Marco Polo became one of the first Europeans to travel the Silk Road to China. Eyeglasses were invented in Italy in the 13th c. At age 58, believe it or not, Robert Ripley died while taping the 13th episode of his tv series which explored death and death rituals.